A prominent player during his distinguished career in the Serie A, Giovanni Tedesco has been handed the onerous task of saving Floriana from relegation.

Tedesco conducted his first training session yesterday after replacing Englishman Ian Dawes who was relieved of his duties just hours after the 2-1 defeat to relegation rivals Vittoriosa Stars on Saturday.

While many are sceptical about Floriana’s decision to change coach at such a delicate stage of the season, critics and fans are wondering how club president Riccardo Gaucci managed to convince a former Serie A player to lead the team in such difficult circumstances.

“My relationship with Riccardo Gaucci was fundamental,” Tedesco said in an interview with Times of Malta.

“I’ve known the Gaucci family for many years and I’m grateful for all they have done with me during my years as a Perugia player.

“The passion they put into everything they do convinced me to accept this proposal.”

For a young coach like Tedesco, taking over a relegation-threatened team only three weeks before the end of the season is a huge gamble but he is relishing the challenge.

“I’m aware of the difficulties associated with this job,” Tedesco said. “But, it’s also an honour for me to work for a glorious club like Floriana, one of the most important in Malta.

“There are a lot of negatives about the team’s current situation but there also other important, positive elements.

“My immediate priority is to gauge what’s in the head of the players and identify the team’s weaknesses.

“The fact that the club are fighting against relegation in the final weeks of the season shows that something has gone wrong.

“This is not intended as an accusation towards the previous coach because when things are not going well, it’s everyone’s fault, from the kit manager to the top club officials.”

Back-to-back defeats to Qormi and Vittoriosa have clearly punctured the confidence of the Floriana players.

“The only thing that can make the difference is the group,” Tedesco stressed.

“We need the squad to be compact and the players to respect each other because if you have those two qualities, it’s difficult to fail.

“This is what I will tell the players before training. It’s important that we save Floriana from relegation. It’s crucial for the players to achieve this target because, let’s face it, when a team is relegated, there are always repercussions for the players.”

If Tedesco manages to steer Floriana to safety, he would certainly improve his chances of keeping the job for next season but he’s only focusing on the next three games.

“I’m only thinking about the next match (vs Tarxien),” he said. “If the players have been doing their 100 per cent, now it’s the time to give an extra 10 per cent.

“This is not about Tedesco or the players. This is about saving the club from relegation.

“As for my position beyond the end of the season, I have to earn it first. If we can continue this rapport, I will be happy but my priority is to keep the team in the Premier League.”

Tedesco is still learning his ropes as coach but, besides working with Delio Rossi at Palermo, he has trained under a host of established coaches during his playing career.

“This (Floriana post) is a great opportunity for me to develop,” Tedesco said.

“I have already had an important experience with Palermo. I was part of Delio Rossi’s coaching staff for one year.

“I also coached the allievi (U-17) squad of Palermo for one season. After that, I was in charge of Foligno for a few months.

“It was a short spell but very intense. It was difficult to work at Foligno because the conditions were not right.

“In my playing career, I worked under some of the best Italian coaches like (Francesco) Guidolin, Rossi, (Carlo) Mazzone, (Davide) Ballardini and (Serse) Cosmi.

“It’s normal that I tried to borrow something from every coach but I have my ideas and my philosophy on how to coach a team.”

Tedesco is currently pursuing the UEFA Masters Coaching Course at the FIGC technical base in Coverciano.

After a successful career spanning over 20 years, Tedesco immediately switched his attentions to coaching.

“When I spent three months as team manager, I missed the contact with the pitch,” he recalled.

“I told Walter Sabatini, the current football director of Roma, that my place was on the turf.

“This may sound strange but I’ve realised that there are certain moments when coaching gives me more satisfaction than when I was playing.”

This is not about Tedesco or the players. This is about saving the club from relegation

Tedesco, 41, has turned out for some important clubs, including Fiorentina, Genoa and Palermo, but it is his six-year spell with Perugia, then run by Luciano Gaucci, that he treasures most.

“I had the best moments of my career with Perugia,” Tedesco said.

“We challenged for some important objectives. With Perugia, I won the Intertoto Cup in 2003, beating teams like Nantes, Aberdeen and Wolfsburg in the final.

“I scored 24 goals in the Serie A during my spell with Perugia.

“I’ve also had the privilege to play for other respected clubs like Fiorentina, Genoa and Palermo but I reached the top with Perugia.

“This is why I have great respect for the Gaucci family because they do things to the best of their abilities.”

Tedesco comes across as a down-to-earth person who considers himself lucky to have played alongside some great players.

“I’m very proud to have played with some really top footballers,” he reminisced.

“I played with (Gabriel) Batistuta, Rui Costa, Diego Milito, they are all stars.”

From the glamour of the Serie A, Tedesco’s nascent coaching career has now brought him to the mundane environment of the Maltese Premier League and the challenge of rescuing one of country’s top clubs from relegation.

Much rests on the players and how they respond to Tedesco’s arrival but the Italian also made an appeal to the Floriana fans.

“This is the moment when the fans must rally behind the team,” Tedesco said.

“Everyone must work for the good of Floriana.”

Physical trainer

Meanwhile, Tedesco has already recruited a physical trainer, Antonio Romagnolo, to work with him at Floriana.

“I came here after being contacted by Giovanni Tedesco,” Romagnolo said. “It’s a nice opportunity but also a massive challenge. I’m very motivated to help the team.”